


take me anywhere in seconds, take me anywhere I want to go

by Eksdy



Category: Warrior (2011)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, Canon Compliant, Car Sex, Couch Sex, First Time, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 16:00:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11558589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eksdy/pseuds/Eksdy
Summary: It only ever happened once.They were younger then, too full of spirit, too reckless, but there, in Frank's beat up Honda Accord, they made out like they were kings, like the whole world was at their back, and it was, just for that moment.Just for that one moment, Frank could believe that everything was gonna come out his way.





	take me anywhere in seconds, take me anywhere I want to go

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this fic on July 23 2015, just after watching Warrior for the first time as part of an "Inception" 5th Anniversary movie watch party. I was immediately hooked on this movie and this pairing. Unfortunately I am a terribly slow writer, have an awful attention span, and just plain spend a lot of time doing things that are not writing, so this fic has been sitting in my google drive for the last year about 95% finished. I watched Warrior last night (again at a watch party) and felt inspired enough to fill in the gaps of this story and finally, finally bring it to something resembling a complete story.
> 
> This fic is meant to take place in the year 1998- thirteen years before the events of the movie. I've set Brendan as being around 23 here, and Frank about 32, so there is a definite age gap -if that is something that bothers you maybe steer clear. I'm debating on whether to tag this as "cheating" because from Frank's point of view it does seem to be but... Tess is 100% knowledgeable and okay with the situation, heads up.
> 
> Title is from Coldplay's "Bigger Stronger" which was released in 1998 and- well, I just like the feel of that song with this fic. Also I just couldn't think of a title.
> 
> Unbetaed- any and all mistakes are very much mine.

It only ever happened once.

They were younger then, too full of spirit, too reckless, but there, in Frank's beat up Honda Accord, they made out like they were kings, like the whole world was at their back, and it was, just for that moment. Just for that one moment, Frank could believe that everything was gonna come out his way.

That night they'd headed out from Fitzy's pretty late, punch-drunk and high off of a big win, and when Frank asked the other man if he wanted a lift, the response hadn't been the standard 'no' like it always was-

_"Hey Irish, you want a lift back to yours?"_

_"Nah, man. The walk home'll cool me off."_

_"Come-on Brendan, it's half past eleven and pouring buckets. You don't wanna walk home in this shit."_

_"I- yeah, yeah, alright Frankie. But only 'cause Tess'll kill me if she finds out I walked home three miles in the rain."_

The second big win of the night.

So they'd both gotten in the car, Brendan sliding into shotgun just as Frank was sticking the key in the ignition. The rain was coming down in sheets and near as it was to midnight, the headlights on his car did barely anything to make the road more visible, so when he started driving it was about as slow as he reasonably could.

_"My dad drives faster than this in the rain, and you know how that man is about his car."_

_"Shut the hell up man, you really wanna walk home in this mess, you go on."_

It hadn't been a quiet drive back to Brendan's. They'd talked about the night's fight, Frank not being able to fully turn off 'coach-mode', they'd talked about the rain, which had been going on for what seemed like days at that point, and then Brendan had started in talking about Tess- not one of Frank's favored subjects, but not one he would begrudge his friend either. It wasn't Brendan's fault that Frank's feelings were wrapped up the wrong way- it wasn't Tess' fault either, and Frank genuinely loved her as well, just not when the conversation was about how gone she and Brendan were for each other.

They'd pulled up in front of Brendan's at almost 11:45 on the dot. The lights were still on, and anywhere else that might've seemed like a courtesy, but even with the rain pouring down buckets, you could hear the yelling from inside the old house from the road. Brendan had shot out a 'thanks', opening the car door and moving to get out, but Frank had quickly- impulsively- reached out, grabbing the other man's arm before he could move out of reach. Brendan had turned to look at him, and the expression on his face- eyebrows knit together, eyes wide- there was worry in those eyes, embarrassment, and Frank had known he was right in asking-

_"Hey, come stay at my place tonight."_

Brendan had hesitated, glancing down at his arm, where Frank still had a loose grip on him.

_"Come on, you can take the couch- it's not much to look at, but it's comfortable, and I got a couple spare pillows you can have."_

He let go of Brendan's arm, and Brendan had, almost involuntarily, brought his other hand up to touch the spot on his arm where Frank's hand had been.

_"Yeah, alright."_

Then he'd climbed fully back into the car, shutting the door behind him.

It was maybe a fifteen minute drive from Brendan's place to his in good weather, and there had not been good weather that night, though the rain had let up just a bit, allowing Frank to drive at a less ridiculously low speed. This drive had been significantly quieter and a whole lot more tense than the first. Frank had wanted to say something, anything, to fill the void, but he'd been too afraid of saying the wrong thing and pissing Brendan off, or worse, hurting him, especially since he'd just convinced the other man to come home with him instead of going inside that house. They were around three quarters into the drive, Frank ready to spew out something- anything- to break the silence, when Brendan spoke first.

_"I thought maybe he'd take the night off- hoped I guess."_

_"What?"_

_"My dad. He was in a pretty good mood this morning- as good as his moods seem to get. I thought he might've taken a night off. The drinking, I mean."_

And Frank hadn't known how to respond to that. He'd taken a glance over at Brendan, who was staring hard out the passenger's side window. His face was turned away from Frank, but his hands were clenched into tight fists in his lap, his whole body tense, and Frank had found a calm enough voice to ask-

_"Does he... I mean, you don't gotta answer this Brendan, but does he do that shit a lot?"_

_"Yeah... I mean it's not every single night, or anything, but most nights are some degree of... that."_

_"How in the hell has nobody called the cops yet?"_

That last bit had just slipped out and Frank had gone through a brief moment of panic, sure that had been the worst thing to say, but whatever expression had shown on his face, Brendan must've found amusing, because he just let out a short, slightly dark-tinted laugh.

_"Just used to it, I guess. Been goin' on since I was a little kid, and most of the neighbors have been here at least that long. We used to get pretty regular visits from the cops every once in a while back then, but nobody's bothered in years."_

_"That's- fuck, man, that's really shitty."_

_"Yeah, but I mean, like I said, it's not like it's every night or anything."_

_"And you have to deal with that shit? Doesn't matter if it's not every single night- that ain't right, man. You need to get yourself away from that crap. Does Tess know about this shit?-"_

No response.

_"-Of course she fucking doesn't, no way she'd just let that ride. Bet she just wonders why you've never brought her home to meet your Pops. You know she probably thinks it's her, right? Little does she know that Paddy's just a right old drunk."_

_"Shut the hell up Frank, Tess knows how I feel about her."_

Frank had pulled into the empty space in front of his apartment, leaving himself free to speak, but he hadn’t been thinking by then- the words coming from his mouth all reaction, sounding so bitter to his own ears, but he couldn’t stop-

_"Have you actually told her, or are you just leaving her to guess? You do that y'know- assume people know how you feel, or that they feel a certain way. You can't go doing that to your girl if you love her. It’s not-"_

And just as he was pulling the key out of the ignition, Brendan had reached over, grabbed the front of his still-damp black t-shirt, and wrenched Frank around to face him, the suddenness of it cutting off his speech. Brendan had leaned over- so close that Frank could've counted individual eyelashes if given the chance- not letting go of Frank's tee as he'd spoken, voice clear-

_"Tess knows how I feel, Frank."_

And then Brendan was pulling Frank towards him, their lips meeting almost before the movement even registered to Frank. In that moment Frank would’ve sworn his senses went haywire, like he was focusing on everything at once- the roar of rain outside blasting in his ears, the smell of sweat lingering on Brendan’s skin, the feel of his lips- some weird combination of chapped but somehow still so soft. Frank had felt Brendan let go of his shirt and scoot towards the middle console, wrapping that same heavy arm around the back of Frank's neck, trying to pull him in even closer, and Frank had tried to go with him, but his knee hit the console and goddamn it, there wasn't enough space for that, so Frank had pulled back from the kiss and pushed back against Brendan's chest. Brendan's whole face had been flushed, his eyes half shut, eyebrows furrowed, like he was worried Frank was cutting him off-

_"Hey- hey- just let me- 's'too cramped, just let me-"_

And Frank had pretty much crawled over top of Brendan, reaching around the other side of Brendan's seat to the controls and letting the seat fall back behind the other man without so much as a warning. Brendan hadn't seemed to mind though- the expression on his face one of pure and obvious lust. Brendan had reached up then, grabbing at Frank's hips, and pulling. Frank had gone willingly, climbing the rest of the way onto Brendan's lap, and letting the other man pull him back into a kiss, Brendan's right arm wrapping around the back of Frank's neck again.

They'd just kissed like that for what felt like ages but, looking back, was probably only a few short minutes- exploring each other's mouths and bodies with a calm voracity. Brendan hadn't seemed to be able to keep his hands off of Frank's ass- his hands kneading softly at the back of Frank’s jeans as they kissed. Frank, for his part, had been content running his hands along the expanse of chest underneath the other man's shirt, until Brendan had pulled back.

_"We can- I don't know how you want to- I've never- you know, with a- a guy, but we- we can, if you want?"_

And Frank had known he was a terrible person then, a terrible friend, because he thought of Tess, who he did care about- who they both cared about- and whose boyfriend had stayed in Pittsburgh just for her, and who would have no idea Frank was there taking that same boyfriend for all he would give, and some part of Frank had known he should stop, get out of the car, go inside, pull a blanket and those pillows he'd promised out of the closet and leave Brendan on the couch to do his own thing while Frank got his rocks off in the shower, but he couldn't do that, not when Brendan was there beneath him, offering everything.

Not when Frank had known exactly what he wanted.

Frank had kissed Brendan again, before sitting back on the other man's thighs and quickly peeling off his own T-shirt- watching Brendan's face the whole time. He'd done it deliberately for the reaction- if Brendan was going freak out about him not having tits, he'd rather it happen before they started anything- and Brendan _had_ reacted with a little bit of unease- of nervousness- shifting slightly underneath Frank, his brows pinching together slightly for just a moment as he glanced down Frank's torso to his now very much apparent bulge, but the lust in his eyes when he looked back up was more than enough to put Frank's worries of the other man jumping up and running for the hills to rest, so Frank grabbed the bottom edge of Brendan's shirt- halfway up his torso where Frank had already pushed it- and yanked it upwards a few times till Brendan got the message, sitting up and letting Frank help him pull it the rest of the way off.

Frank had tossed both of their shirts onto the abandoned driver's seat, before leaning in and claiming Brendan's lips once again. Brendan had seemed unsure of where to put his hands now that there was so much free skin, so Frank grabbed them both and placed them just above his own hips, right at the top of his jeans, and it hadn't taken long for those hands to start moving again, up and down his waist at first, but soon they'd gone back to gripping his ass and the backs of his thighs, and Frank had moved down to kiss, lick, bite, at Brendan's neck, to whisper in his ear-

_"You want that, baby? You can have it, but you gotta let me have what I want first, alright?"_

And Brendan had groaned so deep at that, the sound and vibration going straight to Frank's dick, and Frank had started down that gorgeous body- slowly kissing across Brendan's pecs, down his belly, to his belt, where he had stopped, crouched between the other man's thighs, somehow managing to squeeze between the seat and the dashboard, taking a moment to look up.

Brendan's eyes had been half-shut, his pupils blown wide with lust. His face and chest had been flushed a vivid red- that Irish coloring- and his hands lay clenched at his side, where they had fallen as Frank moved downward. Frank had reached for one fist, placing it atop his own head, where it uncurled, fingers burying themselves in Frank's shaggy mane, and then had gone all in, watching the other man's face as he'd reached down to undo that belt, unbutton Brendan's jeans, and pull that zipper down ever so slowly. He'd grabbed the top of both Brendan's jeans and boxers and yanked, the other man bucking slightly to let Frank pull them down just off his hips, allowing Brendan's cock to spring free. Frank hadn't wasted any time, wrapping his hand around the base of that length and stroking once- twice- before leaning down, licking a wide stripe up the underside, along that throbbing vein, and then smoothly taking Brendan into his mouth. Brendan had cursed-

_"Fuck- Frank-"_

\- tightening his grip on Frank's hair, but not painfully so, as Frank had begun bobbing in earnest.

Frank had always loved going down on his partners, whether male or female. He wasn't the biggest fan of the taste of come, but he didn't mind it either, and he'd always found the ability to take someone apart the way you could when you were giving head- or eating someone out- to be well worth the strain on his jaw. Frank had never been afraid of a little workout- and It did help that he knew he was good at it as well. This time was no different on that point-

_"Ahh- Fuuck- Frankie- yeah, that's-"_

Brendan had been writhing above Frank, his hands were clenched in Frank's hair, though he was careful not to pull too hard, his moans slowly going from low and stunted to almost desperate-

_"Frank- oh fuck- Frank-"_

-words coming farther and farther between and Frank took it all, the words and the moans and the moment, and when Brendan came with choked off groan, Frank's name hovering on his lips, Frank took it too, swallowing everything Brendan had to give.

Frank had let Brendan slide from his lips after the other man had come his last, kneeling backward and rubbing his hands up and down Brendan's thighs as the other man came down from his orgasm. When he'd looked up Brendan had been looking down at him, a loose half smile on his face, his eyes glazed over.

_"Shit, Frankie, that was- yeah."_

Frank had stretched his own well-used lips into a smile as well.

_"'Yeah', huh?"_

Frank had smirked and Brendan- Brendan had licked his lower lip, lowered his gaze downwards to where Frank's still-covered cock strained against his fly, and Frank hadn't been able to keep himself from letting out a choked off moan as Brendan reached down to run a thumb up the front of his jeans.

_"You want- how do you want me to-?"_

And it was at that moment that Frank heard a muffled thud outside- the slam of a car door probably a block up the road- and again realized where they were- where they were doing this- parked right in front of Frank's apartment complex on the side of a road that, if it were not 12 o'clock midnight, would be just off of a very busy intersection. Frank had quickly looked up, glancing out the window in either direction. It had been absolute pure luck that no one had walked by- or glanced out the window- and seen the two of them going at it. He looked at Brendan, who seemed to have come back to reality around the same time as Frank had, his eyes now wide and alert, lips slightly parted as though he had stopped talking mid thought, and Frank had started to apologize to Brendan for going so far, even if logically neither of them had thought- or wanted- to stop.

" _Shit man, I wasn't-_ "

_"Inside, then._ "

And then Brendan had been the one smirking.

They'd scrambled to get themselves situated, Frank helping Brendan pull his jeans back up, both of them pulling on and straightening out their shirts and running hands through their hair in case they saw anyone inside, in vain, of course, as Frank had noted after the two of them had sprinted the short distance through the rain and into the building and glanced at Brendan- even the dim light of the front entrance showing vividly the flush of his cheeks, and Frank knew he looked no better- anyone who might've seen them in the hall on the way to Frank's apartment would've known what the two of them had been upto- even without a glance towards the quite obvious bulge at Frank's crotch. Luckily the halls had been empty save for one of Mrs. Stoleski's cats- the youngest, Miloje, Frank had noted- who she tended to let freely roam the building at night, so the two of them had made it up the stairs, down the hall, and into Frank's apartment in record time, without having to stop and make any kind of what would unavoidably have been very awkward social interaction on the way.

Brendan was the first to enter the apartment, stepping straight through into the living area. Frank followed, turning back to close and bolt the door behind them. When he'd turned around again, Brendan had been standing on the other side of the couch, his back turned towards Frank, already pulling his shirt up and over his head- tossing it down on the carpet beside him. Frank had moved on autopilot, stepping around the couch and up behind Brendan, running a hand up that bare back- skin damp from the rain and from the sweat of their previous exertions and Brendan had turned, that cocky smirk once again in place.

Brendan had reached out, tugging up at the bottom of Frank’s damp tee until he’d allowed the other man to pull it up over his head, and in the next moment, Brendan had been on him- kissing Frank like he’d wanted to suck the life from him. Brendan’s hands had landed, almost tentatively, on Frank’s hips, and Frank would later remember having been amused by that- the other man being so cautious to touch with his lips devouring Frank’s moans- when he’d had those same hands on Frank’s ass half of the time they were in the car- when not even ten minutes back, Frank had had the other man’s dick in his mouth. It wasn’t long, however, before Brendan’s boldness had seemed to return to him, his fingers slipping under the waist of Frank’s jeans and forward towards his fly, undoing the button as Frank wordlessly urged him on.

“ _What do you want- how can I--?_ ”

Brendan’s voice had been a breathless whisper as he’d echoed his question from back in the car, his fingers pulling down the zip of Frank’s jeans, hands reaching under the denim and around to Frank’s ass again.

“ _I already got what I wanted- but I think you’ve got the right idea._ ”

Frank had pushed Brendan back- just a few inches- and once again reached for the younger man’s belt- never quite properly rehooked from the car- unbuckling it the rest of the way, then swiftly undoing Brendan's fly once more. Brendan, finally catching on to the idea, had pulled his hands away from Frank long enough to push his own jeans and boxers down, and Frank had shoved him back again, the other man losing his balance and toppling onto the couch. Frank had quickly pushed down and stepped out of his own jeans and underwear, leaving them in a pile on the floor, and had leaned over, kissing Brendan deeply- a brief apology- before standing upright again.

“ _I’ll be right back._ ”

The younger man had looked up to him in question, but Frank had simply turned, heading back the darkened hallway and into his own bedroom where he’d quickly plundered the bedside table for a bottle of lube and a string of condoms. Goal obtained, Frank had swiftly made his way back down the hall.

In the short time Frank had been gone, Brendan had kicked his jeans and boxers the rest of the way down and thrown both his and Frank’s clothes a few feet away, clearing a bit of space in front of him. When Frank had reentered the room he’d been sitting back on the sofa, casually stroking his own cock to hardness.

“ _Getting started without me, huh?_ ”

“ _Just- unh- getting the crowd worked up for the real talent.”_

Frank had immediately crossed the room to stand in front of Brendan, throwing his bounty on the couch beside the other man, and then kneeling overtop of him, Brendan's thighs braced between his own. He’d brought his mouth to Brendan's once again as the other man tilted his head upwards, Brendan's hands finding Frank's bare thighs- rubbing his palms up and down them as he and Frank kissed, and Frank had begun grinding down against the younger man, cock still left wanting from earlier. Brendan had taken them both in hand, his unhurried strokes set in contrast to impassioned kisses as they continued to explore one another. Soon after, Frank had reached for the lube, quickly snapping open the cap, coating a few fingers, and dropping the tube back on the couch, before reaching around to his own entrance. He hadn't bothered starting with one finger, despite it having been a while, jumping straight to two- his own fingers hooking not-quite-deep-enough inside himself, the burn of it only enough to leave him wanting more. The fingers of Brendan's left hand had been twitching where they grasped Frank's thigh.

_“I- should I- do you want me to-?”_

_“Nah- ‘m good.”_

Frank had taken little time preparing himself- less so than he probably should’ve given how long it had been- but he’d wanted to feel the burn of the other man entering him. Brendan, meanwhile, had the sense to reach for the string of condoms, tearing one packet open and sliding the revealed prophylactic onto his own dick. Not willing to wait any longer, Frank had withdrawn his fingers, sinking slowly onto Brendan's hardness, eyes falling shut as he focused on that burn- his body stretching to accommodate Brendon’s girth.

_“Fuck, Frank- you-”_

He’d taken Brendan in with one unyielding slide, his hands finding the younger man’s shoulders as Brendan’s hands landed on Frank's hips. He'd waited only a few moments to adjust before lifting upwards and slamming down once more. He’d done so again, and again, and soon he’d managed to get into a good rhythm, fucking himself in earnest on Brendan’s cock, Brendan’s hips thrusting upwards into Frank’s downward movement. Frank had reached down and taken his own cock in hand, only to have his hand batted away and replaced by one of Brendan’s.

_“Lemme- I want to- wanna feel you, Frank-”_

Frank had leaned forward then, covering Brendan’s mouth with his own- the kiss something between gratitude and an effort to shut the younger man up before Frank lost it entirely too soon- not that he was going to last long anyway at that point. Frank had groaned and Brendan had slid out of the kiss, working a path down Frank’s neck and settling in that dip just above Frank’s collar to kiss, lick, bite at the skin there. Frank had wrapped one arm around Brendan’s shoulders, hand running along the back of Brendan’s head, fingers combing through slightly too-long hair, and had turned his own head, almost unconsciously rubbing his nose against the rain-and-sweat-soaked locks at Brendan’s temples as he continued to grind down into the other man’s lap.

He’d let himself get lost in the rhythm of it- in the feel of the other man inside him- the slide of Brendan’s sweat-dampend skin against his own. Almost before he’d been aware of it, he’d been right on the edge- straddling that beautiful impatient line between passion and euphoria. He’d tried to pull back- to keep astride of that line as long as he could- holding on to the moment, but Brendan had been at his ear- groaning, whispering-

“ _Frank- Frank- Come on Frankie- wanna feel- wanna feel you-_ ”

\- and Frank hadn’t had the will to hold back any longer, his orgasm crashing down around him in waves even as he continued to grind his hips downwards- his movements only faltering a few moments later as he felt Brendan’s free hand tighten on his thigh, the other man letting out the lightest groan as he followed Frank over the edge.

Brendan’s eyes had been clenched shut, his mouth hanging open slightly, and Frank had leant in to capture the other man’s lips with his own. They’d kissed through the aftershocks, Brendan letting Frank’s cock fall from his grasp.

After a few moments, Frank had lifted up and off of Brendan, letting himself practically collapse on to the wide expanse of couch beside them, and, after pulling the condom off his now-softening dick, tying it off, and throwing it over the back of the couch and into the trash can by the refrigerator, Brendan had followed- twisting around to sandwich himself between Frank and the back of the couch, lying half on top of Frank in the lack of space.

They’d lain together on the couch, sweat and come cooling rapidly on their still-flushed skin, Brendan’s head pillowed comfortably on Frank’s shoulder, and Frank had felt, as he hadn't for longer than he could remember, content.

He’d always tried so hard not to think of Brendan- to keep his attraction hidden away- so sure that he'd never have a chance- that Brendan would never think of him that way. There- with Brendan's solid weight at his side, a sure tell that he’d been wrong- that their attraction was mutual- he’d allowed himself to believe this could become a regular thing. He imagined going up to Brendan after practice- whispering salacious offers in his ear- taking him home and fucking him in Frank's own bed, which they'd yet to visit- an oversight he’d had plans to correct imminently. He’d opened his mouth to say something about heading to the bedroom just as Brendan shot up to a sitting position, suddenly alert.

“ _Shit- Tess is gonna kill me. I swore I’d call her after I got home from the fight. Can I use your phone, man?”_

Frank’s words had died in his throat, but he had nodded his assent, gesturing towards the kitchen area where his phone was located. He’d watched as Brendan stood- casually stepping around the couch to find the phone, still nude as he untangled the cord and dialed the number to Tess’s apartment.

“ _Hey Babe- yeah, I know, I’m sorry it’s a little late- yeah, it was a really good fight-”_

And all at once it was too much. Frank had stood rapidly, making his way down the hall to the closet, pulling out that blanket and the pillows he’d promised earlier, and bringing them back out to the couch. He’d collected his own clothes, the lube, and the rest of the condoms and, sparing a glance at the other man in the apartment (the phone conversation had devolved into lovey-dovey shit), had quickly escaped to the relative safety of his own shower.

By the time Frank had exited the bathroom, Brendan had gotten redressed and had moved back to the couch- watching Seinfeld reruns on Frank's shitty television, and it had been like everything was back to normal- like the entire evening before that had been some kind of fucked up fever dream brought on by too many punches to the head, and Frank hadn't questioned it then, the anxiety over what to do, what to say, giving way to relief as he realized Brendan didn't expect either from him. He hadn’t questioned it the next morning either, waking and coming out to the kitchen to find that Brendan had made them both breakfast with the sparse amount of food in Frank's apartment- simple eggs and toast- as a sort of thanks for letting him stay over, making no mention of anything else that had happened the previous night. He didn't question it the next day, or the next, or the one after that, and soon enough it had become just another thing out of many that they didn't talk about.

Brendan had started staying over at Frank's every once in awhile after that, nights, Frank knew, when Paddy had been on a bender with a particular intensity. Frank had never questioned it- but they’d never had sex, never even came close after that one time.

Frank had been cautious around Tess for a while after that night as well- it was never quite clear to him whether or not Brendan had told her about their dalliance. Frank always assumed that Brendan had told her- Brendan, he knew, barely ever kept anything from Tess- but she’d never approached Frank about it, never questioned him, or berated him- never made any indication that she held any hard feelings towards Frank for the machinations he had made on her loving boyfriend, not even two years later when a hard swing at a roadside fight had landed Brendan in the hospital with a serious concussion. Tess had called him every name in the book that night- every name Frank had already been calling himself- but she’d still never called him out on fucking her boyfriend. Frank had been expecting it, and- that night of all nights- he would've deserved it- just as he deserved every other cross word out of her mouth.

He hadn't seen as much of Brendan after that- It had taken Brendan weeks to heal, and somewhere in that span of time, Tess had somehow convinced him to give up the fighting - to try to make something of himself, and Frank had agreed she was right, had told Brendan so when the other man had come to tell him about it, and Brendan had shown him the ring - the one he'd saved up the winnings from all those roadside fights to buy, and Frank had been happy for him- genuinely happy for the both of them- even as he’d felt his gut sinking, twisting with some sort of irrational regret.

Frank hadn't gone to the wedding. He’d been invited- had turned down best man, even- but in the end he couldn't bring himself to watch the nail be driven into that particular coffin. Instead, he'd made sure to schedule one of his guys for an important fight that day - one he absolutely couldn't get out of. It wasn't all that suspicious, he'd told himself, and Brendan had seemed to forgive him anyway- he knew Frank was a work-a-holic if anyone did.

And that was that.

The married couple went off to live their happily ever after, and Frank pushed himself into coaching for real.

And if sometimes he thought back on that night with a sort of wistful fondness?

Who was to know?

And if every once in awhile he went out to a club or bar and ended up taking home some buff young red-head to fuck into the mattress?

Who could blame him?

And if he still had that same goddamn shitty Honda parked in the back of his garage despite the many nicer cars he’d replaced it with over the years?

Well, that was none of anybody's goddamned business.

 

**Author's Note:**

> And there it is...
> 
> There is a lot that happens after this, mainly during the events of the movie, but, as usual, I won't even remotely guarantee that I'll ever get around to writing it. I see this as absolutely ending up with Frank, Brendan, and Tess in an occasionally turbulent but 100% loving polyamorous relationship.
> 
> And just to note: I said before the fic that this wasn't actually cheating, but to be a little more specific- there was definitely a conversation before any of the events that took place here where Tess basically sat Brendan down and was like, "I get it, you're into your coach, and if something happens It's cool. I love you and I know you love me, and I can tell you're sort of in love with him, even if you're kind of dumb with your feelings." She knows, Brendan absolutely told her, and she was okay with it. Brendan was just a dummy and thought she'd only be okay with it once.
> 
> Let me know if I should tag for anything else?
> 
> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. :)


End file.
